Nowadays, tablets have become essential pieces of technology with their own unique advantages. Whether you need a multimedia entertainment device, a laptop replacement, or just a gadget that you can use for work or school, you should consider getting a tablet. Tablets offer a unique mix of screen size, portability, and power that no other gadget can fulfill.
However, given its many specifications and features, choosing a tablet can be a daunting task. Not to mention, the market is filled with different tablet brands like Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and Huawei, which could make things more complicated. To make things less overwhelming, we've prepared a simple buying guide fact-checked by IT Specialist JC Rogelio. Don't forget to check out our list of the 10 best tablets as well!
The products we introduce below were carefully curated by the mybest team, from the best-sellers of E-commerce sites like Lazada, and using the points mentioned in our detailed and thoroughly researched buying guide.
Disclaimer: These products are recommendations made by our team at mybest Philippines. Our expert, JC Rogelio, is not affiliated with, nor is he endorsing any of the brands we mention below.
**Prices may vary depending on the website and their campaign period*
From ₱62,990
Operating System | iPadOS 14 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 12.9" Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED Display |
Processor | Apple M1 |
RAM | 8 GB or 16 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2732 x 2048 Pixels (264 ppi) |
Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB |
Camera Resolution | Front: 12 MP Ultrawide TrueDepth Camera Rear: 12 MP Wide, 10 MP Ultrawide, and LiDAR Scanner |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | 10 Hours on Wi-Fi, 9 Hours on Cellular Data |
Additional Features | Thunderbolt-Enabled USB-C Port, Face ID |
From ₱77,990
Operating System | Android One UI 4.1 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 14.6" Super AMOLED Display |
Processor | 4 nm Octacore (Likely Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) |
RAM | 16 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2960 x 1848 Pixels (240 ppi) |
Storage | Up to 512 GB (Expandable Up to 1 TB With micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 12 MP + 12 MP (Wide and Ultra Wide) Rear: 13 MP + 6 MP |
Connectivity | Cellular only |
Battery Life | "All-Day" Battery |
Additional Features | Quad Speakers, Multi Window |
From ₱19,995
Operating System | Android 11 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 11" Dolby Vision |
Processor | MediaTek Helio G90T |
RAM | 4 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2000 x 1200 Pixels |
Storage | 128 GB (Expandable With micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 8 MP Rear: 8 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi only |
Battery Life | Up to 15 Hours of Video Playback |
Additional Features | Dolby Atmos Speakers |
4th Generation
From ₱33,390
Operating System | iPadOS 14 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 10.9" Laminated Liquid Retina Display With IPS Technology |
Processor | Apple A14 Bionic |
RAM | 4 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2360 x 1640 Pixels (264 ppi) |
Storage | 64 or 256 GB |
Camera Resolution | Front: 7 MP Rear: 12 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Up to 10 Hours on Wi-Fi or 9 Hours on Cellular Data |
Other Features | Compatible With Magic Keyboard and 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, Side-Mounted Touch ID |
From ₱32,990
Operating System | EMUI 10.0.1 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 10.8" LCD Display |
Processor | Kirin 990 |
RAM | 6 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2560 x 1600 Pixels (280 ppi) |
Storage | 128 or 256 GB (Expandable up to 256 GB With micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 8 MP Rear: 13 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Up to 12 Hours Video Playback |
Additional Features | FullView Display, Fast Charging |
9th Generation
From ₱19,990
Operating System | iPadOS 15 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 10.2" Retina IPS Display |
Processor | A13 Bionic |
RAM | 3 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2160 x 1620 Pixels (264 ppi) |
Storage | 64 or 256 GB |
Camera Resolution | Front: 12 MP FaceTime HD Rear: 8 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Up to 10 Hours on Wi-Fi or 9 Hours on Cellular |
Additional Features | Touch ID |
Deep Sea Blue
From ₱7,999
Operating System | EMUI 10.1 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 10.1" IPS Display |
Processor | Kirin 710A |
RAM | 2 GB |
Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1200 Pixels (224 ppi) |
Storage | 32 GB (Expandable With micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 2 MP Rear: 5 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Not Specified |
Additional Features | Harman Kardon-Tuned Speakers, HUAWEI App Multiple |
From ₱18,990
Operating System | Android |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 10.5" TFT Display |
Processor | Octa-Core |
RAM | 4 GB |
Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1200 Pixels (WUXGA) |
Storage | 128 GB (Expandable With Up to 1 TB micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 5 MP Rear: 8 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Not Specified |
Additional Features | Quad Speakers, Fast Charging |
From ₱73,990
Operating System | Windows 11 |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 13"PixelSense |
Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core Evo |
RAM | 8 or 16 or 32 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2880 x 1920 Pixels |
Storage | 128 or 256 GB (Expandable with 512 GB or 1 TB SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 5 MP Rear: 10 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Up to 16 Hours |
Additional Features | Windows Hello Face Authentication Camera, Dual Far-Field Studio Mics |
From ₱11,990
Operating System | Android Pie |
---|---|
Screen Size and Panel | 10.3" FHD Display |
Processor | Mediatek Helio P22T |
RAM | 2 GB |
Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1200 Pixels (220 ppi) |
Storage | 32 GB (Expandable With Up to 256 GB micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 5 MP Rear: 8 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | Up to 7 Hours Web Browsing Time |
Additional Features | None |
To give you a rundown, here are our top 3 picks for the best tablets you can buy online:
Check out the table below to further compare the characteristics of these three as well as the other seven that made it to our list.
Image | 1 ![]() Apple | 2 ![]() Samsung | 3 ![]() Lenovo | 4 ![]() Apple | 5 ![]() Huawei | 6 ![]() Apple | 7 ![]() Huawei | 8 ![]() Samsung | 9 ![]() Microsoft | 10 ![]() Lenovo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | iPad Pro 12.9" | Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra | Yoga Tab 11 | iPad Air | MatePad Pro | iPad | MatePad T10s | Galaxy Tab A8 LTE | Surface Pro 8 | Smart Tab M10 |
Features | Versatile and Powerful for Both Professional and Personal Use | The Ultimate Laptop Replacement for Work and Play | A Mid-Range Tablet With a Long Battery Life | High-End Performance at a More Affordable Price | Narrow Bezels for an All-Screen Viewing Experience | The Best Budget-Friendly Tablet for Students | 6-Layered Protection for the Kids | Offers More Storage for Downloading and Storing Media | A Powerful Device That Transforms From Laptop to Tablet | Ultra-Affordable Tablet for Students |
Price Starts at | ₱62,990 | ₱77,990 | ₱19,995 | ₱33,390 | ₱32,990 | ₱19,990 | ₱7,999 | ₱18,990 | ₱73,990 | ₱11,990 |
Operating System | iPadOS 14 | Android One UI 4.1 | Android 11 | iPadOS 14 | EMUI 10.0.1 | iPadOS 15 | EMUI 10.1 | Android | Windows 11 | Android Pie |
Screen Size and Panel | 12.9" Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED Display | 14.6" Super AMOLED Display | 11" Dolby Vision | 10.9" Laminated Liquid Retina Display With IPS Technology | 10.8" LCD Display | 10.2" Retina IPS Display | 10.1" IPS Display | 10.5" TFT Display | 13"PixelSense | 10.3" FHD Display |
Processor | Apple M1 | 4 nm Octacore (Likely Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) | MediaTek Helio G90T | Apple A14 Bionic | Kirin 990 | A13 Bionic | Kirin 710A | Octa-Core | 11th Gen Intel Core Evo | Mediatek Helio P22T |
RAM | 8 GB or 16 GB | 16 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | 6 GB | 3 GB | 2 GB | 4 GB | 8 or 16 or 32 GB | 2 GB |
Screen Resolution | 2732 x 2048 Pixels (264 ppi) | 2960 x 1848 Pixels (240 ppi) | 2000 x 1200 Pixels | 2360 x 1640 Pixels (264 ppi) | 2560 x 1600 Pixels (280 ppi) | 2160 x 1620 Pixels (264 ppi) | 1920 x 1200 Pixels (224 ppi) | 1920 x 1200 Pixels (WUXGA) | 2880 x 1920 Pixels | 1920 x 1200 Pixels (220 ppi) |
Storage | 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB | Up to 512 GB (Expandable Up to 1 TB With micro SD Card) | 128 GB (Expandable With micro SD Card) | 64 or 256 GB | 128 or 256 GB (Expandable up to 256 GB With micro SD Card) | 64 or 256 GB | 32 GB (Expandable With micro SD Card) | 128 GB (Expandable With Up to 1 TB micro SD Card) | 128 or 256 GB (Expandable with 512 GB or 1 TB SD Card) | 32 GB (Expandable With Up to 256 GB micro SD Card) |
Camera Resolution | Front: 12 MP Ultrawide TrueDepth Camera Rear: 12 MP Wide, 10 MP Ultrawide, and LiDAR Scanner | Front: 12 MP + 12 MP (Wide and Ultra Wide) Rear: 13 MP + 6 MP | Front: 8 MP Rear: 8 MP | Front: 7 MP Rear: 12 MP | Front: 8 MP Rear: 13 MP | Front: 12 MP FaceTime HD Rear: 8 MP | Front: 2 MP Rear: 5 MP | Front: 5 MP Rear: 8 MP | Front: 5 MP Rear: 10 MP | Front: 5 MP Rear: 8 MP |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular | Cellular only | Wi-Fi only | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi + Cellular | Wi-Fi + Cellular |
Battery Life | 10 Hours on Wi-Fi, 9 Hours on Cellular Data | "All-Day" Battery | Up to 15 Hours of Video Playback | Up to 10 Hours on Wi-Fi or 9 Hours on Cellular Data | Up to 12 Hours Video Playback | Up to 10 Hours on Wi-Fi or 9 Hours on Cellular | Not Specified | Not Specified | Up to 16 Hours | Up to 7 Hours Web Browsing Time |
Additional Features | Thunderbolt-Enabled USB-C Port, Face ID | Quad Speakers, Multi Window | Dolby Atmos Speakers | Compatible With Magic Keyboard and 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, Side-Mounted Touch ID | FullView Display, Fast Charging | Touch ID | Harman Kardon-Tuned Speakers, HUAWEI App Multiple | Quad Speakers, Fast Charging | Windows Hello Face Authentication Camera, Dual Far-Field Studio Mics | None |
Link |
Here are some key points to consider:
For more detailed information, read through our buying below.
Just like laptops and desktop computers, tablets can come with a variety of operating systems (OS). In particular, tablets come in iOS, Android, and Windows systems. If you're buying a tablet for school or work, make sure to check whether you're required to use a particular OS. Also, don't forget to check the availability of the applications that you'll be using the most in the different tablet systems.
Different operating systems provide different experiences in terms of navigation and interface. Apple's iPadOS is considered by many to be very easy to use and is a great introduction to the Apple ecosystem.
With this, you also get access to the huge library of apps in the App Store. However, getting a tablet with this OS means that you are limited to gadgets that only Apple manufactures.
Many tablet manufacturers, big and small, use Android as their OS. With Android, you get superior customizability and access to Google Play. Unfortunately, not all applications in the App Store are available in Google Play, which can be a pain if you plan to use your favorite iPad apps on your new Android tablet.
Some manufacturers also use the most recent Windows 11, which is ideal for those who are looking for a desktop-like experience. Just like in Microsoft Surface Pro, you are given the ease of having Microsoft Office right on your tablet for productivity purposes.
Finally, there are also less common operating systems that have a special place in the tablet market. For example, Amazon's Kindle OS is perfect for those who'd like to read e-books, newspapers, and other digital media on their tablet.
If you plan to use your tablet for media consumption, like for watching movies and playing games, then a large 10-13" screen would greatly enhance your user experience. Larger screens are also a must if you are looking to use your tablet for professional work, such as drawing and editing.
However, keep in mind that the screen size would also influence the portability of your tablet. A larger screen can make it bulkier and heavier, so make sure to strike the right balance between screen size and portability.
With many options available on the market, you should check the tablet's specs and features that would best suit your individual needs. If you want a faster and smoother experience, you might want to buy a tablet with more RAM. On the other hand, considering the tablet's camera resolution would be necessary if you plan to use it as your primary device for work meetings or taking photos.
The processor indicates how fast the tablet can run applications, while RAM dictates how much multitasking it can perform. Having a processor and RAM that aren't up for the task can result in frustrating crashes and lags every time you load apps.
If you plan on doing intensive tasks such as rendering and heavy gaming, then you will benefit from a faster processor and more RAM. Top-of-the-line processors such as Apple's M1 or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865+, paired with around 8 GB of RAM, will make short work of such demanding tasks.
For light use, such as web browsing, watching movies, and light gaming, you can get away with having a more modest processor and less RAM. Although using the tablet won't be lightning-fast, at least you get to save money, which you could otherwise spend on other important things such as accessories.
Most manufacturers readily advertise the display resolution or the number of pixels that the tablet can display in the product description. However, if you want to compare the sharpness between tablets of different display sizes, make sure to compare the pixels per inch or ppi instead.
Tablets with at least 200 ppi are very common, but if you want the best of the best, go for those with at least 250 ppi. You'll definitely appreciate the sharpness of these displays while watching movies and reading texts.
Your storage requirements will depend on what you plan to do with your tablet. If you'd like to store a lot of games, movies, and photos offline, then a tablet with larger storage would be suitable for you. Tablet storage options range from 8 GB up to 2 TB, so try to plan out how much you need for your use case.
As you pick the higher storage options for tablets, they tend to get significantly more expensive. Luckily, most tablets nowadays have micro SD card slots. Be on the lookout for this feature, as micro SD cards are a more affordable tool to increase your tablet's storage.
Even though phones generally have better cameras than tablets, the tablet's cameras must not be overlooked. A rear camera with at least 8 MP will be adequate for taking pictures of documents and notes. However, if you plan on doing some portrait photography, you'll definitely want to go for those with at least 12 MP.
As for the front camera, a tablet with at least 5 MP is good enough for most users. However, if you want to look your best at all times when attending video calls and online conferences, then it might be worth it to go for a front camera that has a higher resolution.
Many tablets are offered in either Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi + cellular. Wi-Fi-only models are more affordable than those with cellular, so if you plan to use your tablet mostly in areas where Wi-Fi is available, then it would be better to go for this option.
Unfortunately, Wi-Fi isn't available in all areas, which is where Wi-Fi + cellular models come in. With these, you can insert a SIM card in your tablet for cellular data, giving your device access to the internet all the time. However, keep in mind that cellular data consumes battery quicker than Wi-Fi.
Whether you're at home or on the road, nobody wants to get stuck next to a wall socket because their tablet has poor battery life. Grab a tablet with at least 8 hours of battery life, as that would definitely be enough to last you around a day of light use.
Do take note of the charging time as well. Some tablets come with fast charging features, which could offset their short battery life since it won't take too long to power up the device.
An important consideration when choosing a tablet is the included accessories that make using this gadget much easier. Some tablets might include keyboards, which are great for those who are looking for a replacement for their laptop. On the other hand, styluses are great for artists who'd like to draw on their tablets.
Aside from the included accessories, even additional accessories should be considered. Make sure that the tablet is compatible with other accessories such as earphones, speakers, cases, and more. This way, you have plenty of options should you want to further enhance your tablet experience.
The display is probably one of the most fragile parts of the tablet. With just a single drop, your tablet could turn from being your personal work or school device to an unusable chunk of metal and shattered glass. With that in mind, here are some tips from Tablet Ninja on how you can take care of your tablet display.
You can reduce the chances of ending up with a damaged display by protecting it. Make sure that your tablet's case has screen protection features such as bumpers that prevent your display from laying flat on the floor. Also, consider getting a screen protector for your tablet display for that added layer of protection.
When cleaning your display, make sure to use a soft, lint-free cloth to avoid getting scratches on the surface. Also, remember not to use paper towels to keep your screen scratch-free.
For stubborn dirt and marks, make sure to use cleaning agents that are specifically designed for cleaning displays. But before doing this, it's better to turn off your device first to prevent damaging the sensitive components inside your tablet.
The whole tablet, including your display, functions better at room temperature. Make sure to avoid placing your gadget in extremely cold and extremely hot areas, such as under the sun, as these factors may damage the tablet.
Below are some of the most asked questions on the web answered by the mybest team.
According to FixMeStick, you should remove unnecessary apps to save space on your tablet, especially when you don't regularly use them. It's also important to install the latest software and update your apps. You can also choose to have an antivirus to protect your tablet from malware and viruses.
Try to avoid excess heat. When your tablet warms as it charges, the battery is drained by the device to protect it from damage. This can affect the battery's performance in both the short and long-term. Try to store your tablet in a cool, dry place, and remove it right after charging.
You can also follow the 80/20 Rule. Today's batteries made of lithium-ion are best maintained if they are always charged between 80 to 20 percent. Try to keep your batteries from getting drained. Once your battery drops below 20, it’s time to charge. On the other hand, it’s better to unplug your device once it reaches 80 percent, as stated by PC Laptops.
Following the 80-20 rule from earlier, it's best to get your charger ready once your tablet's battery drops below 20 percent.
Out of the box, your brand new tablet is already equipped with features that make it versatile. With the right accessories, however, you could turn it into your personal do-it-all machine that can handle various tasks. Know how by checking out our product recommendations below!
Author: Adriel Coseip
Re-editor: Beatrice Fajardo
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Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
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